Before a Fall
Ciri arrived in a town, headed for the coast. She is warned by a woman named Zola to tread carefully. Geralt arranged a meeting with Mousesack to ensure his Child of surprise was healthy and being taken care of. Mousesack informed him that Princess Cirilla has been raised by Calanthe since her parents died. Pavetta and Duny’s ship was lost at sea. Geralt warned Mousesack that he saw a Nilfgaard army making camp at the Amelia Pass. Mousesack assures Geralt that the queen’s done everything she could to ensure her family’s safety. Geralt suddenly spotted men moving through the tunnels. He suspected that Calanthe got word of his arrival and sent assassins to kill him. Surrounded and outnumbered, Geralt held Mousesack hostage. In order to get to him, they’d first have to kill Mousesack. They charged with their weapons, and so Mousesack was forced to portal himself and Geralt to safety. Calanthe discussed with Sir Danek and Sir Lazlo the encroachment of Nilfgaard. Mousesack arrived with Geralt in tow. Geralt has been away for 12 and planned on staying that way until Calanthe sent 8 men to kill him. Geralt came to protect Ciri, who Calanthe raised on her own. When Calanthe tried to buy Geralt off, Mousesack interjected that money can’t undo the Law of Surprise. King’s who’ve tried to outbid destiny ended up on pikes. Danek and Lazlo drew their blades as Geralt approached. Geralt advises Calanthe to give the child over to him if she had any doubt in her mind that Ciri was safe in Cintra. Geralt promised to take her, protect, and bring her back unharmed. Calanthe reluctantly agreed and exclaimed to the townspeople that Law of Surprise had been called. In the market for gloves, Ciri was forced to give up her mother’s ring in an exchange. She was approached by Zola, the same woman from before. She questioned why Ciri is headed for Skellige as the roads aren’t safe and the Skelligens are a “grumpy lot.” Instead, she offered to give Ciri food and a place to stay. Rather than waiting for Zola to return, Ciri rode off on one of her horses. Geralt entered Calanthe’s chambers to take Ciri with him before the arrival of the Nilfgaard army. Unbeknownst to Geralt, Calanthe had no intentions on giving Ciri up, and instead, disguised someone else’s child as Ciri and handed her over to Geralt. Mousesack watched on silently. Calanthe by told Geralt that she’d summon him when Ciri was ready to leave. Geralt exited Calanthe’s chambers and followed the passage way through a hidden door that magically opened. The tunnel lead him outside of the castle, where the girl impersonating Ciri was saying goodbye to her friends, the real Ciri being amongst them. Geralt confronted Calanthe after realizing that she tried to send him off with a girl that wasn’t Princess Cirilla. Calanthe insisted that Ciri was safe with her until the day came that she would take over the throne. Calanthe refused to give Geralt word any further thought. The last time she listened to him, she let a hedgehog into her court, which ultimately resulted in Pavetta’s death. Calanthe refused to lose Ciri the same way she lost Pavetta and ordered Eist to get Geralt out of her kingdom. Geralt recalled when Eist honored the Law of Surprise. Eist explained that was before he had a granddaughter. Assuming Cintra is attacked by Nilfgaard, Eist would be right by her side. Geralt accuses him of putting too much faith in the Queen, but he wasn’t there when Pavetta died. Calanthe would wake up howling in the night. The Lioness, nearly broken. Someone that is able to pull themselves out of that would have Eist’s confidence until his final day. He asked Geralt to promise that he wouldn’t come back. When Geralt refused, Eist trapped him behind bars. Coming from Caingorn, Yennefer arrived in Nazair, a Nilfgaard ran excavation site, where she reunited with Istredd after years apart. Why they’re digging? The tunes described a “magnalith” in Nazair, but no one could find it until Istredd arrived and Nilfgaard tore through the lands. They allow his research. Every glyph has a clue to something across the continent from a time before the Conjunction. Yennefer took a sip of the ale, which she described as having a terrible taste. However, Istredd claimed that the people of Nazair were starving before Nilfgaard’s arrival. Yennefer surmised that Istredd “bought in.” She questioned how much longer Istredd intended to stay in Nazair as she missed him. Yennefer asked if it wasn’t to late to do what they talked about all those years ago in the cave of Aretuza. Living a life together. Istredd could excavate as she worked as a mage. He recalled how Yennefer always hated monoliths. Admittedly this was true, but Yennefer had spent decades being the object of desire, having anyone she wanted. But they all loved the power that came with her position at court. Not her actual power. And no one had ever see that but Istredd. Yennefer then kissed him. However, he pulled away. He spent years waiting for the moment that Yennefer realized that they were meant for each other. Coming up with excuses to study at Aedirn. Anything to get closer to her, but every request she made was denied by her. It was Stregobor who snapped him out of it. He reminded Istredd of the beauty of their work. Yennefer went after the thing she loved, so she chose power. At least she kept her eyes, he remarked, before departing. Yennefer was then approached by Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, who was in need of her help. Nilfgaard has been conscripting mages into their service. And since neither of them possess a letter of safe conduct, they both should leave as fast as possible. He needed Yennefer to accompany him back to Aretuza. He and Tissaia needed her help. Tissaia even said herself that Yennefer was the best student she’d ever taught. Vilgefortz brought Yennefer back to Aretuza with him, where he and Vanielle of Brugge informed her that Nilfgaard was planning to attack Contra. Not that Yennefer cared. She only cared for finding Tissaia. To her surprise, Tissaia had no idea Yennefer was in Aretuza. Vilgefortz lied to Yennefer in hopes of convincing her to join their cause. Yennefer entered her old room to find three initiates, Fola, Glacella, and Murta playing around, claiming to be studying botany. They questioned why she’s back. A question that not even Yennefer at the time could answer. She offered to show them what the herbs used in botany were truly good for. While the herbs possessed certain healing properties, when mixed, they act as psychedelics. It’s then that Yennefer discovered that Glacella never had a conduit moment and that certain initiates were buying their way into the Aretuza. Rather than being worried about being expelled, Yennefer informed them about a more terrifying fate. She took them to Aretuza’s windmill, many years prior, she watched Tissaia turn her friends into eels. Yennefer then informed the girls that the ability to create life is taken from them. So that when they’re sent out into the world, the only family and loyalty they’d have was to Aretuza. Initiates like Glacella, “with all the magical talent of shoe leather”, will end up in the water with the rest of Yennefer’s sisters who never ascended. Tissaia interrupted Yennefer’s schooling of the girls and sent them to their rooms. She went on to tell Yennefer that she should stop with the one life she’d already ruined, that being her own. Yennefer never wanted to come back, referring to Aretuza as a joke. Letting in girls who can’t even do magic. Tissaia explained that they had to make comprises one order to survive. Tissaia departed after noticing a gathering of the mages, leaving Yennefer clueless. Fortunately, she and Triss Merigold were familiars, and from Triss, she learned that an emergency conclave of the Northern Mages was called after Nilfgaard took Marnadal. Artorius, Stregobor, and Tissaia led the conclave. Artorius and Stregobor has no desire to go to war with Nilfgaard. Especially not for Cintra, who ejected their mages for decades. However, Vilgefortz worried that more kingdoms would fall after Cintra as Nilfgaard wanted the entire continent. Rather than watching them fall, Tissaia wanted to help Cintra defeat Nilfgaard. Sabrina, Vilgefortz, and Vanielle sided with Tissaia, wanting to convince the kings to send their armies because if they didn’t stop Nilfgaard now, more kingdoms would fall. Fringilla arrived at the conclave and denounced any suspicion that Nilfgaard was planning to take over the continent. Under their new leader, Emperor Emhyr, Nilfgaard had strengthened trade and funded research. They’ve torn down walls while Queen Calanthe continued to put them up. Tissaia accused Fringilla of rejecting the order and way of life that took centuries to build. Tissaia retorted that they’ve simply modified it. They’ve taken a new path, guided by the White Flame. When Triss claimed that Nilfgaard also forced mages into servitude and practice black magic, Fringilla responded that they believed in shared sacrifice and that there was no such thing as dark or light magic. Fringilla believed that in taking Cintra, they had a chance of saving the continent. If the Northern mages won’t take sides, Fringilla asked that they at least stay out her way. Stregobor and Artorius were in favor of letting Cintra fend for themselves. Fringilla pointed out that if not for Yennefer, she never would’ve been assigned to Nilfgaard, and it wouldn’t be the empire it is today. Artorius joked that had they sent Yennefer to Nilfgaard as planned, It would still be a “shitty backwater.” Yennefer admitted this was true. Instead of Nilfgaard, she went to a prized kingdom and did “fuck all for decades.” She helped murderers and rapists keep their crown. If given an option, she’d vote to burn it all down. Tissaia wagered that Cintra was scared and suggested that they lend a hand. The mages put it to a vote. Unfortunately, most side with Stregobor and Artorius to allow Cintra to fend for theirselves. Once the conclave concluded, Yennefer and Tissaia resumed their previous discussion. Tissaia insisted that there are girls who need the help that only Aretuza can provide. She also added that Yennefer was right back in Rinde when Tissaia visited her. But now, the my have to put their differences aside to stop Nilfgaard. Tissaia, Vilgefortz, and some of the other mages are planning to fighting, and she was hoping Yennefer would join them. Geralt plotted his escape while trapped in the dungeon of Queen Calanthe’s castle as Nilfgaard invaded. He attacked one of the guards and freed himself from his cell. The Nilfgaard army broke through Mousesack’s barrier and breached the gates. A wounded Calanthe informed Mousesack that she had Geralt locked in the gate keep. If Mousesack could bring him to Ciri, then destiny may still side with them. And so, Mousesack headed to the gate keep to free Geralt. However, by the time he got there, Geralt had escaped. Geralt made it outside, where he disposed of several Nilfgaard invaders. Mousesack returned to inform Calanthe that Geralt had escaped. Even still, there was still hope for Ciri. Calanthe then ordered for Ciri to be taken away by Mousesack and Sir Lazlo. Ciri screamed, causing a reverberation throughout the room. Before sending her off, Calanthe told Ciri to find Geralt of Rivia, as he is her destiny. Geralt watched from the shadow as the Nilfgaard army took Cintra. Suddenly, he heard a loud thud. Upon investigation, he discovered it was the queen. She jumped out her window, to her death. Geralt ran back into the castle to find Ciri. Instead, he found several Nilfgaard soldiers, all of whom he murdered when they refused to tell him where to find Princess Cirilla. Ciri set up camp in a dark field. She started a fire to keep warm. Before long, she is confronted by her once friend Anton and three other Cintrians. Word had gotten around that Nilfgaard was willing to pay a barrel of orens in exchange for Ciri. They were looking to collect. They dragged Ciri through the field until something came over her. Her voice deepened and the wind began blowing heavily. She recited a phrase; "Verily, I say unto you the era of the sword and the ax is nigh, the era of the Wolf's Blizzard. The Time of the White Chill and the White Light is nigh the Time of Madness and the Time of Contempt."